Marked
by MissMariaWrites
Summary: AU/AH: Klaus Mikaelson has seen parents and brother create the most beautiful artworks for people since he was 10. As both an artist and tattoo artist for his family's business- Original Tattoos- he himself has had his fill of beautiful things. Although, none compared to a breathtaking young blonde that sauntered into the parlor on a hot June morning. (Parallel to Inked)
1. Bad Boy

**Here it is!**

**I wasn't planning on putting it up until at least tomorrow, but I got excited because of all your lovely reviews on ****_Inked_****!**

**Remember, this is Klaus's POV of their whole "story", I guess you can say. I decided to separate it because some people don't like reading from Klaus's POV, just to make it a bit easier for them. For those of you who like reading both Klaus and Caroline POV, you're getting the full coverage!**

**Enjoy!**

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Marked

Chapter 1: Bad Boy

In the summer of 2000, Michael and Esther Mikaelson moved to New Orleans to open up their own tattoo parlor- Original Tattoos.

They brought along their four children- Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah and Kol.

Elijah, the oldest of the Mikaelson children, was 17 at the time and became a certified tattoo artist to help out his family during the first few years of the business. Once the parlor had made a name for itself and no longer needed his assistance, he went to pursue a career in Business and Finance. Once he had finished his studies, he return to the family business, this time as their financial manager.

Rebekah and Kol, the youngest of the Mikaelson children, were both six when the family moved to the United states. Rebekah grew up to be a certified tattoo artist as well, but also decided that she wanted to continue her education. So she works as the spokesperson and manager of Original Tattoos, and takes classes at the local college.

Kol- Rebekah's twin- did not want to follow the path his siblings had taken and decided to go off and become a musician. He and his band played a couple of gigs before he quit, proclaiming that the rock star life was too boring for him. In the end, he did become a certified tattoo artist.

Klaus Mikaelson, the middle child, had always been a talented artist. So when he became of age, he became a certified tattoo artist like the rest of his family. He is one of the most famous tattoo artists in New Orleans, known for his intricate designs, clean lines, and outstanding shading.

Another thing he was known for was being a womanizer. No one could deny that he had the looks, and the accent helped, too. But he never got involved with the women that he inked- it was his only rule.

* * *

"There you go, sweetheart. All done" He said as he finished his fourth tattoo of the day. He wiped away the excess ink and blood, looking at his work.

The woman he had been working on stood up and went to go look at her new tattoo in the mirror.

"I love it!" She said, jumping up and down as she looked at the portrait of her brother on her arm. "Thank you so much!" She said excitedly before running up to him and giving him a hug. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her slim waist.

"No problem" He said as she pulled away. He could see her blush as she grabbed her purse and head over to the front desk to where Rebekah would charge her. He moved to his station again, starting his clean up routine.

"She looked like a bundle of joy" Kol said as he plopped down in the station next to him.

"She was pleasant" Klaus said. She had been pleasant. Most women would throw themselves on him as soon as he introduced himself. This one must have had a boyfriend or something.

"I'll bet you ten bucks that she's leaving a phone number and a tip" Kol smirked, watching as the woman paid Rebekah.

"I don't think this one will leave her number. Not all of them do" Klaus said, finishing his clean up and heading to the back to throw away his tray of excess ink.

He loved getting attention from women, but after five years of having women fawn over him, he was getting a little tired. He also didn't like the fact that a lot of his clients asked for him because they wanted a chance to seduce him and not because they were impressed with his artwork. He wanted someone to want him for him, not for his reputation.

"Oh please, Nik. Nine out of ten women leave phone numbers. If I got that much attention I'd have a companion every night!" He sighed "And the most frustrating part is that I'm like ten times more attractive than you" His last statement made Klaus laugh.

"Stop being jealous Kol, you get enough women" He said, throwing away his trash and walking back to the front desk.

"True" Kol added with a smirk.

As they approached Rebekah she slid something to Klaus- ten dollars and a folded up paper. When he opened it, it had the woman's phone number.

"Ha!" Kol said, taking the ten dollars and putting it in his pocket.

"What's going on now?" Rebekah asked, watching as Kol made a face to Klaus while stuffing the ten dollars in his pocket.

"Nik didn't think that nice lady would leave her phone number" Kol said, clapping Klaus on the back.

"Oh please, Nik. You get like nine out of ten women's phone numbers. No need to be humble" She said, turning to her computer.

"Ha!" Kol exclaimed again.

"Shut up, Kol" Klaus says to his brother, smiling at his antics.

The phone on Rebekah's desk began to ring and she picked it up.

"Original Tattoos, Rebekah speaking" He heard Rebekah say and he stayed, listening to her as she talked to a client. Kol on the other hand, decided to busy himself elsewhere.

"Alright can I get your name?...Caroline..." She said as she started typing in the information into the computer.

"Is this your first time getting a tattoo?...Okay we have an opening this coming Saturday morning. Is that alright for you?" She asked and nodded when the girl replied. She typed in a couple more things into her computer before looking up at me.

"And is there anyone you had in mind?...Any tattoo artist? Would you like to ask for anyone in specific?...Alright, that's it. We'll see you then" She said politely before hanging up.

"New client?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yeah. Her name is Caroline, she's never had a tattoo done and she's coming in on Saturday morning"

"I wanna take her" I said, standing up straight and stretching my arms.

"Alright" She said, typing in some more stuff into her computer. I turned away going to my station. "She sounded nice" She called after me.

"They all do" I called back.

* * *

That night after they closed down and locked up the parlor, Rebekah and Kol said goodbye to their brother and went on their way.

Klaus walked down the sidewalk, making his way to his favorite bar a few blocks away, sitting in his usual seat at the bar.

"Can I get you anything?" Camille said as she came up to him, cleaning the glass in her hand.

"Bourbon, neat" He said with a smirk.

"Coming right up" She said with a smile, turning to get his drink. Klaus went there about five times a week and the only woman he could never hit on was Camille. She was beautiful and sweet, but not his type.

She came back and set his drink down in front of him. He nodded toward her and began nursing his drink, his back turned to the rest of the establishment.

About half an hour later, he felt someone sit down next to him and he watched as the brunnette flipped her hair over her shoulder and signaled for Camille.

"Apple martini" She said and Camille went to make her drink. When she turned back around she looked over at him "Hello, handsome" She said with a smile.

"Good evening, sweetheart" He said with a smirk.

"Wow, hot accent" She said. Camille came back then, putting the drink in front of her but the girl didn't even glance at her. "My name is Hayley" She said, holding out her hand.

"Klaus" He replied, slipping his hand into hers and pulling it up to plant a kiss on her knuckles, all the while looking up at her.

She grabbed her drink and took a sip.

"So, do you come here often?" She asked, and he smirked, playing her game.

They flirted and joked, and at the end of the night, he had her pressed against a wall as he dug his keys out of his jacket pocket. When he opened the door, he used her body to shut it closed behind them.

They made their way to the couch as she made work of his jacket and shirt.

"Nice place" She said between heated kisses.

"Thanks" He mumbled, finding the zipper of her too short dress.

The truth was, this wasn't his apartment- it was Elijah's. He never took women to his apartment because he would have to explain why he lived above a tattoo parlor. And then they would know who he was and then they would want to come back.

This was why he prefered this. Not having the women he bedded know exactly who he was was better because if they knew who he was, they would want to come back because of his reputation, not because of him.

He pushed away those thoughts and focused on getting the girl into one of the guest bedrooms, the one that Elijah would leave open for his...activities.

* * *

The week passed and he decided not to go back to the bar for a couple of days because that Hayley girl was a bit... clingy.

It was Saturday morning and he groaned when Rebekah knocked loudly on his door.

"You better be down here in twenty bloody minutes!" She yelled and he got out of bed, remembering that he had an early morning client coming in.

He showered quickly before drying off and throwing on some clothes, heading down to the parlor.

What he didn't expect was to see the blonde beauty talking to Rebekah. She turned to look at him when he came into the parlor, and he took the chance to look at her fully.

Her blonde hair was piled on her head in something Rebekah would call a "messy bun", some strands falling around her face to frame her beautiful green eyes and soft features.

The loose white shirt she had on was partially see through and I could see the outline of her bra, the thought of what was underneath made him hold back a groan. Her tight jeans showed off her perfectly sculpted long legs.

"Oh good, you're here" He heard Rebekah say and his attention snapped to her and away from the goddess he was now standing next to. No woman had ever turned him on just by standing there and looking at him. "Caroline this is Klaus. He'll be your tattoo artist for today" Rebekah introduced them.

"Good morning to you too, dear sister" He said to Rebekah, ignoring how she stuck her tongue out at him. He turned to the blonde beauty beside him "You must be Caroline" He said and he held out his hand. Once she had slipped her hand in his, he bent down and placed his lips on her knuckles, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. She smelled like vanilla.

"Yes. And you must be Klaus" She said and he could see her cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink. He chuckled, reluctantly releasing her hand and turning toward the back of the parlor.

"Follow me" He said and heard as she walked behind him, the heels of her boots clicking against the floor. He walked into the drawing room and sat at the drawing board, turning to Caroline and giving her a quick once over before she had time to notice.

"And what would you like today, sweetheart?" He watched her as she reached into her purse and took out a folded piece of paper, unfolding it and smoothing it out, looking at it for a second before handing it to him.

He took the paper from her, examining the drawing. He was taken aback for a moment because the tattoo was almost identical to one he had on his shoulder. The feather was in a different position and the birds flew up instead of to the side.

"Did you draw this?" He asked.

"Yeah. I couldn't find exactly the tattoo I wanted so I drew it out" She said, her hands clasping in front of her as she watched him. He swallowed.

"This is good. Do you draw?"

"Oh, no. I had a few art classes back in school so I know a couple of things" She said with a shrug and he nodded. The drawing really wasn't that bad for someone who hadn't been drawing for a long time. It was simple, but her lines were clean and her shading was almost perfect.

"Do you have an idea of where you want it?" He asked.

"On my back" She said and he nodded again, turning quickly to grab a sheet of carbon paper, hiding his smile. She would have to take off at least her shirt for that, and the thought of touching her soft skin again made him want to groan.

"Alright, would you turn around for me?" He said, standing up and watching as she turned around, giving him the perfect view of her ass. No! Focus.

He stepped forward and placed his hand on her lower back.

"Tell me where you want to start the tattoo" He said.

"Right there" She said before he had a chance to move his hand "All the way up to here" She added, pointing to a spot right at the top of her spine. He licked his lips, his mouth going dry at the thought.

"You want it to go down the middle of your back?" He asked, trying to keep his voice level.

"Yes" She said with a nod and he pulled his hands away before he could do anything else.

He moved quickly to his drawing board and set the drawing down next to him, thankful for the task that would distract him for a couple of minutes. He used her drawing as reference but added his own little details, looking it over once he was finished.

He added a couple of touches to the enlarged version of the drawing before holding it up for her to see. She nodded and he proceeded to leading her to his station.

"Um," He started, not sure how exactly to tell her she would have to remove her shirt and most possibly her bra. He had never had a problem telling his clients to strip down, it was always strictly professional, but it was different with Caroline.

"I'm going to have to ask you to remove anything that will-" He had put down the carbon paper and was now gesticulating, trying to come up with a polite way to ask her to remove her clothing. She cut him off with a nod and a laugh.

"Yes, I'll take my shirt off" She said, proceeding to drop her purse next to the tattooing chair, leaving Klaus dumbfounded. She reached for the top buttons on her shirt and he watched for a couple of seconds, appreciating the creamy skin of her chest. He shook his head slightly and turned to give her some privacy.

A couple of seconds later he heard some shuffling and guessed that she had sat down.

"Okay, done" He heard her say quietly and he turned around, keeping his eyes on the carbon paper as he grabbed it and went to place it on her back. He hesitated a moment when he saw her back was completely bare. He moved quickly to place the carbon paper on her back and peeling it away to reveal the design.

"Check it out" He said after swallowing and getting himself together. He felt his eyes widen as he watched her stand up, not bothering to cover her breasts.

He looked again, realizing that she did indeed have a bra on. It was white and lacy, but it was only the cups in the front and it seemed to be secured to her body by two sticky strips on the sides.

She turned in front of the mirror, twisting around to get a look of the transfer, leaving her perfectly toned stomach exposed to him.

"Perfect" He heard her say, effectively snapping him out of his trance. She walked back to the chair and sat down, straddling the seat, her chest pressed to the back.

He adjusted the chair so that he could get a better angle for the tattoo. Then he moved to get his gun and inks ready, putting on gloves before starting.

"Ready?" He asked and she nodded. He took a deep breath and pressed the needle into her skin, starting the outline. After a few minutes of silence, he looked down at her. She seemed perfectly at ease, wincing every once in awhile but never moving.

"Is this your first tattoo?" He asked, already knowing the answer. She nodded "What made you decide to get it?" He asked interestedly. He had always liked to hear people's stories behind the reason why they wanted a particular tattoo.

He thought about reasons why Caroline would be getting this one. Maybe it was a tribute to a loved one- a family member, a boyfriend? The thought made him slightly jealous but he swallowed and focused.

"I moved out here to New Orleans to get a fresh start. Like a new me" She paused and licked her lips "So getting a tattoo just seemed like the right way to go"

Klaus let out a small sigh, somewhat relieved that that was the reason.

"Where did you live before, if you don't mind me asking" He asked.

"Mystic Falls. It's a small town in Virginia"

"And why did you decide to leave?"

"Well, like I said it's a small town. Everyone knows each other and everyone knows each other's business. I wanted to get away from all that so once I finished high school I left" He saw her swallow and the tone her voice had taken lead him to believe that this was an unwanted topic.

"Well, you are going to love New Orleans" He said with a slight smile, changing the subject. He felt her relax a little under his touch as he wiped away some excess ink from her skin.

"I haven't had a chance to see much of it yet, but I like it so far" She said sheepishly, a small smile playing along the edges of her lips.

He continued to talk to her about some of the sights she would have to see and she eased into the conversation with every passing minute. He noticed that she was a talker, and she rambled on about things like her best friend Bonnie and the things she had bought for her new apartment. He smiled, finding her talkative nature endearing.

When she ran out of things to say, they lapsed into a comfortable silence. He hoped that she would talk again soon because he knew that it would distract her from the pain. But as he began to shade, she stayed quiet.

She began to wince more often, little whimpers escaping her lips.

Her skin was getting cold and he looked over in time to see her wipe away a single tear that had rolled down her cheek.

"Do you need a break?" He asked, wanting her to say yes so that he could take a break. Being so close to her soft skin and not being able to touch every inch of it was starting to drive him insane.

She shook her head and he took a deep breath before getting back to work.

The tattoo was a simple black and white tattoo, but black and white was never easy. The shading was very important and he took his time to give her the best tattoo he could.

About an hour later, Klaus turned off his tattoo gun and wiped away some ink and blood from her skin.

"All done" He said, examining his work one more time before getting up and moving away from her, letting her stand up and walk toward the mirror.

He was about to let her check it out for herself, but he decided against it and handed her a hand mirror so that she could see it better. Having her twist to the side like she had before would drive him insane.

He looked at the mirror behind her, looking at the feather that gave way to a flock of flying sparrows.

He looked back at her, catching her smile and it took his breath away.

"It's beautiful, it's wonderful, it's perfect" He smiled, enjoying her reaction.

"I'm glad you like it, love" He said and she smiled even wider, looking at her tattoo again.

He lead her over to his station where he applied some lotion and a bandage so that she wouldn't get an infection. When he was done she pulled on her shirt and grabbed her purse, slinging it over her shoulder before turning to him with another smile.

"Thank you" She said sweetly.

"It was my pleasure" He purred, returning the smile.

"Can I get a hug?" She asked, opening her arms slightly. Again, he was taken aback by her request but quickly recovered, pulling her in for a hug.

She pulled away a few seconds later, much too quick for his taste. She smiled again and turned to walk over to Rebekah to pay for the tattoo. He watched her go, turning around once she had reached the front desk to begin on his cleaning routine.

He heard her talking with his sister and he smirked, hoping that she would leave her phone number. With the way things had gone during their session, he was pretty sure she would, and he might even give her a call.

When he heard the front door shut, he made his way over to Rebekah who handed him a twenty.

"That was a pretty high tip. I didn't get to see that tattoo, but I'm sure it was beautiful, Nik" Rebekah said with a smile, turning to her computer. He was shocked.

"She didn't leave anything else?" He asked, hoping that this was a trick. But Rebekah simply shook her head, giving him a sympathetic smile.

He nodded and turned, stuffing the money into his back pocket and heading for the door of his apartment.

Figures, the only girl he wanted didn't want him.

"I'm going on break" He called over his shoulder as he pulled his door open, heading up to his apartment in desperate need of a cold shower.

* * *

**So there you go! I hope you guys liked what I did with the whole paralleling thing.**

**I'll be posting Chapter 2 of Inked in a few days once I get it edited and fixed up, so be patient!**

**Leave me some reviews :)**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: I can not tell you how much I don't like Hayley, like UGH. And having to write her just irks me...but, I kind of need her in this story because she serves a purpose.**


	2. An Angel

**As promised, here is chapter 2 of Marked!**

**Tomorrow's the first day of school so I spent most of the day getting ready for that (i.e. doing my nails, eyebrows, getting my hair died- half of my hair is red). So, even though I wanted to put this up this morning, my plans were put on hold.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

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Marked

Chapter 2: An Angel

The days passed and she never came in again. He hoped that she would come back, and he didn't care what her reason would be. He just wanted her to come back so that he could have a second chance with her.

The few hours he had with her were enough to have him wanting more. She was unpredictable, beautiful and kind, and he loved every second he got with her.

But he wanted more.

Every night she would make an appearance in his dreams, taunting him with her smile and her soft skin. She was always so close, but yet so far, and he would wake up feeling cold and alone in his bed.

When he went to the pub for a drink a couple of nights later, he couldn't help but compare every woman he saw to Caroline, but they were never quite as radiant, their beauty was no match for hers.

"Why the long face?" Camille said as she put his drink in front of him. He shook his head and shrugged. "Is it a girl?" She said jokingly.

He didn't respond and she looked at him.

"It's a girl? You're kidding right?" She was skeptical because she had never met anyone with as much game as Klaus. He would walk into the pub and within half an hour there was a woman sitting on his lap. He didn't even need to lift a finger.

"I wish I was" He mumbled.

"Okay, who is she? Don't tell me it's that girl that was with you here the other day, because let me just say she was a bitch"

"Hayley? No, she doesn't compare to Caroline" He finished his drink and set the glass down on the counter, motioning for her to refill it. She did as he asked.

"Caroline," She started "Pretty name"

"Beautiful girl" He added. Camille looked at him a little more, taking in his posture and facial expression.

"You've fallen hard" He winced. He had never been in love and if this was what it felt like, he didn't like it "What exactly did she do?"

"Nothing. She came into the shop, got a tattoo, and walked out" Camille was one of the only people he trusted enough to tell her the truth about his job. He knew she wouldn't try to come onto him.

"Not even a phone number?" She asked and he shook his head, bringing back the memory of Caroline talking to his sister and then walking out.

"Not even a glance back" His mood was getting worse by the second.

"Well, that's how you know she's special" Camille said and he looked up at her, slightly confused "Think about it- how many woman walk into the shop every day and leave their numbers?" A lot he answered mentally, but she continued "And how many of them did you actually want to see again?" None.

He looked at her interestedly- she had a point.

"I doubt she doesn't want to see you again, I mean you're hot and you exude confidence and danger. Chicks dig that" She broke off, making herself busy behind the counter and he chuckled at her explanation.

"What I'm trying to say is that maybe she did want to leave her number, but she didn't want to impose"

"I've met my match, haven't I?" He asked and she shrugged.

"You've always wanted to find a girl that liked you for you, right? Well, I think that if you do get to see her again, you can be sure that she'll be seeing you as Klaus Mikaelson the man, not Klaus Mikaelson the famous tattoo artist that every woman wants to tame" She turned away and went to go attend to other customers, leaving him to think about what she had said.

* * *

"Alright, time to lock up" Kol said as the last client walked out of the parlor. Rebekah began shutting down her computer and Kol locked the door and turned on the alarm. Klaus made sure all the stations were clean before heading up to his flat.

"Nik, hold on" Rebekah called after him and he stopped at his door.

"Yes, Bekah" She walked toward him, pulling on a jacket and a scarf as she walked.

"I wanted to ask for a favor"

"What kind of favor?" He asked suspiciously.

"Tomorrow is the Halloween parade-" She started but he cut her off.

"No"

"Oh, please Nik! I know Elijah said I wasn't allowed to go if I didn't go with one of you but a friend invited me and I already said yes and I don't want to have a babysitter because for God sakes I'm eighteen!" She was almost yelling and he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Rebekah, I'm going with you-"

"But Nik!" He held up his hand, motioning for her to be quiet.

"I'm going with you, but I'll stay out of sight. Your friends won't even know I'm there" He watched as she thought about it, knowing that that was her best option.

"Alright" She conceded "We'll meet at my apartment and take a cab there"

He nodded and said his goodbyes, turning off all the lights in the parlor before going up the stairs to his flat. He took a quick shower and then got into bed, closing his eyes and thinking of the blonde beauty that had turned his world upside down.

* * *

"Thank you" Rebekah said as she paid the cabbie and got out, Klaus following behind her. "I told them to meet me down the street. You can follow behind me when they aren't looking" She said.

"Yes, Bekah don't worry" He rolled his eyes when she cut him a look before turning the corner and heading toward her friends. He waited about thirty seconds before looking around the corner, watching as Rebekah talked to two girls that were in front of her.

There was a blonde with fair skin and a brunette with darker skin. The blonde turned her back to Rebekah and stood there for some time. His brow furrowed, confused as to what was happening.

He found himself getting closer, walking toward them to see what Rebekah was looking at. The blonde's back was exposed because her costume dipped low in the back. When he squinted he could make out something on her back.

She turned around after a few seconds and he couldn't believe his eyes.

It was Caroline.

He watched as she smiled at Rebekah and talked to her friends and then the group of girls turned and started walking toward the parade.

With her back turned to him, he could make out the feather and the sparrows that snaked up her spine.

He waited a few seconds and then started following after them. He wanted to get closer, but he didn't want to explain what he was doing if they caught sight of him.

So he settled for being a couple of paces behind them.

He was able to make out that Caroline was dressed as a peacock, which matched her tattoo perfectly. Her costume stuck to her skin and the tutu at her waist accentuated the movement of her hips, not to mention that her legs went on for days.

He wondered if Rebekah had known she would be there, but he ruled that out because Bekah hadn't stopped bothering him about how he had taken a fancy to the blonde. She would pounce on the chance to get them together.

They got to the crowd that was around the parade and soon they had disappeared into it. He moved quickly and followed behind them, but he had lost them.

He looked around, looking for Caroline's blonde hair or Rebekah's.

"Oh my god" It was Caroline's voice and she was right next to him. He glanced over at her through his peripheral but she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were trained on the parade in front of her, and he slowly started to move back so that he was a safe distance away from the three girls.

The rest of the night was spent following the little group around as they danced in the parade and walked around. He enjoyed watching them as they laughed and danced, singing along to the songs that they knew.

Klaus had never seen his sister that happy, and he enjoyed seeing Caroline happy as well. He made up his mind to make her smile like that.

His good mood was brought to an abrupt halt when the girls walked into a pub, and a shady one at that. There was a small group of people gathered outside that was slowly growing because the pub seemed to be filling up with each passing second. They disappeared into the tumult of people faster than he had time to realize.

He pulled out his phone and checked the time- it was a little past midnight. He would give them ten minutes before he would call Rebekah.

He sat down on a bench down the street and kept his eyes trained on the front entrance of the pub. There were drunk men trying to walk around, but clearly failing. He scrunched his nose in disgust- he was known to get smashed every once in awhile, but he was never that drunk.

When the ten minutes were up he dialed Rebekah's phone number and waited for her to pick up. She didn't answer. He tried again.

On the fourth call, Rebekah picked up.

"What do you want, Nik?" She asked, sounding annoyed.

"I want you and your friends to get out of that pub right now Rebekah. It's one of the shadiest places in this part of town" As he talked he saw Rebekah emerging from the crowd. She had her phone pressed to her ear and a hand over her other ear.

"Oh, come-" She started but he watched as a drunk stumbled toward her, practically crashing into her. He hung up and crossed the street, getting to a disgusted and scared Rebekah in record time.

He pulled her away from the drunk and crossed the street with her.

"You see what I mean?" He said, looking down at her with all his brotherly authority.

"Yes, yes no need to rub it in" She huffed as she sat down on the bench he had been sitting on a minute ago. "But I need to go get Bonnie and Caroline- Oh, by the way, Caroline is here" She said smugly.

"Yes, I noticed" He snapped at her "I'll go find your friends" He said before making a motion telling her to stay there. He walked back to the terrible excuse of a bar and looked around for Bonnie and Caroline. To his surprise, Bonnie was already walking toward him.

"Bonnie?" He said to make sure it was her. She looked at him and tilted her head, clearly confused "I'm Rebekah's brother, Klaus. Listen we need to get you girls out of here, this bar isn't exactly safe" He said, finding that he had to shout over the noise. The girl nodded and he helped her out of the crowd, pointing her in the direction where Rebekah was sitting. He watched as she crossed the street and got to his sister. A few seconds later he received a text from Rebekah telling him to find Caroline and meet her at the intersection where she had met the other girls earlier in the evening.

He sent her a quick text back and then turned to the crowd, looking for any signs of Caroline. When he didn't see anything he made his way into the crowd, looking around as he did.

He see a streak of blonde through his peripheral vision and looked over to see the blonde head of hair disappearing into an alley. He pushed passed the crowd and made his way over.

His anger boiled up when he saw Caroline pushed up against the brick wall of the alley, struggling against the iron grip of a drunkard.

"Let me go" He heard the struggle in her voice.

"I don't think so" The drunk man said as he pressed himself closer to her, his face inches from hers.

"I believe the lady asked you to let her go, mate" He sneered, and both of their heads turned to him. Caroline's eyes were a mixture of fear and relief. The drunk turned back around to Caroline.

"Fuck you man, this is none of your business" He sneered and that was enough to send him over the edge. He made his way over to him as he pressed himself to Caroline again, grabbing him by the back of his collar and yanking him back, effectively peeling him away from Caroline.

He shoved him against the opposite wall and grabbed him by the collar, pushing him up so that he was almost dangling in the air.

"You are a sorry excuse of a man if you think you can mess with another man's girl and get away with it" He growled and he knew he looked scary. The drunk shrunk away, fear settling into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, man. I didn't know" His words were slurred but his voice shook with fear.

"Whether you knew or not does not excuse you forcing yourself on her. Now, I'd ask you to apologize, but I don't want you even breathing the same air as her" He kept his voice low and menacing, both so that his message would come across clear and that Caroline wouldn't hear him.

"Please, just-"

"Get out of my face" He sneered and let go of the man. The drunk stumbled but quickly ran out of the alley. He turned to Caroline and was at her side in a flash.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" He said, concern evident in his voice. He had gotten there pretty quickly but he still wanted to make sure. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he was never too good at comforting. He opted for looking her over to make sure she wasn't injured.

"Yeah, I'm just a bit shaken up" She said with a small smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. He could see the relief in her eyes and was glad that she wasn't hurt.

"Come one, let's get you out of here" He said.

"But Rebekah and Bon-" She started to protest but Klaus didn't want to stay in that alley or anywhere near that bar any longer. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her along.

"Are fine. They are waiting for us a few blocks down" He felt her relax as they got onto the sidewalk and began walking to their destination.

With his arm around her waist, he could feel her every move. Each time she took a step, the soft skin of her back rubbed against his arm. He swallowed, remembering how low the back of her costume dipped.

After a couple minutes of walking, they reached the intersection where Bonnie and Caroline had met up with Rebekah.

"Caroline, are you okay? I got pulled away from you and I couldn't find you and-" Her friend Bonnie started.

"I'm fine" Caroline cut her off while at the same time slipping out of his grasp. He let her go, missing her warmth. "I'm just ready to go home"

"I'd offer to drive, but I've had a couple of drinks" Bonnie said.

"Me, too" Rebekah added. He looked at his sister, cutting her a look that said "We'll have to talk about this later" to which she simply rolled her eyes.

"My car's parked down the street. I'll drive" Caroline said, producing her keys. From where? He wasn't sure. Both of the other girls nodded and she looked at him. He nodded too, and soon they were all walking to Caroline's car.

Both Bonnie and Rebekah were walking side by side in front of them. Caroline walked a few paces behind them and he walked behind her.

He watched as she walked, like a model, one foot in front of the other.

But every few seconds she would sway to one side or the other, her head wouldn't stay up. He knew she hadn't had anything to drink because she was offering to drive, and she didn't seem like the kind of person that would put her friends in danger by driving under the influence. Also, when he had saved her from the drunk a few minutes ago, he hadn't smelled any alcohol on her.

When they reached her car, Bonnie and Rebekah climbed into the back. Caroline was about to open the driver's side but he stopped her.

"I'll drive, you must be exhausted" He said softly and she nodded absently, handing him the keys and sliding into the passenger's side.

Klaus got into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking lot. He looked back at Bonnie and Rebekah who were passed out in the back. When he glanced at Caroline, she had her head on the headrest, her eyes closed.

He drove to Rebekah's apartment first, shaking her awake when they arrived. She got out and said her goodbyes, heading up to her apartment. Caroline seemed to be slight conscious so she gave him the direction to Bonnie's apartment because Bonnie was out cold.

When they arrived, Caroline got out and helped Bonnie out. He watched as they made their way into the building, Caroline doing most of the work. After a couple of minutes, Caroline came back out, sliding into the passenger seat once again and putting on her seat belt. She gave him her address before closing her eyes. After a couple of minutes her breathing evened out and he knew she had fallen asleep.

He drove to her building, parking her car and turning it off. He looked over at Caroline- she looked so peaceful, he almost didn't want to wake her up.

After about ten minutes of letting her sleep, he reached out and shook her slightly. She stirred, wiggling her nose as she shifted, which he found adorable.

"Wake up, love" He coaxed her and her eyes slowly opened. She looked around, orienting herself.

Klaus took the keys out of the ignition and went around the car to help her out, offering his hand to her.

"Thank you" She said, sounding much more awake than before.

"Here you go" He said, handing her her keys.

"Thank you" She said again and he smiled, deciding this would be the best moment to take his leave. "Where are you going?" She said, which caught him off guard.

"My brother's apartment is a few streets down" He said, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. In reality, his brother's apartment was much further than a few streets, but he figured he could find a taxi on his way there.

"Oh, no I'm not going to let you walk through the streets in the middle of the night" She said, shaking her head before turning around, walking to the door of her building and opening the door. Her hips swayed from side to side and he swore she was doing it on purpose- no one could make walking look that sensual on purpose "Are you coming?" She had stopped at the door and looked back at him.

"Yes" He said, sounding much too eager for his taste, but he didn't care. He followed behind her as she lead him to the third floor. She opened the door and made her way through the apartment, turning on the lights.

"Would you like anything to drink?" She called out. He sat down on one of the stools that were in front of the kitchen counter. Her apartment was quaint. "I could make some tea, sorry I don't have anything stronger" She said as she walked into the kitchen, no longer wearing her heels. Her hair was falling out of it's bun, framing her face like a golden halo.

"Tea is fine" He said with a reassuring smile. She return the smile and turned to begin preparing their tea. She boiled the water and pulled out some mugs. When the water was ready, she poured some into both of the mugs and put the tea bags in them.

As she waited for them to be ready, she tapped her foot. She didn't seem like the kind of person that liked silence.

"I like your costume" He said, filling the silence for her. She turned to him.

"Thank you" Caroline grabbed both mugs and walked over to him, standing behind the counter and setting them on the counter between them ""I wasn't planning on going to the parade but Bonnie insisted, and she already had my costume so..." She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders.

"And the tattoo, I see you've taken quite a liking to it" He smirked, taking the tea bag out of his mug and putting it in a napkin. He had noticed how the costume seemed to pay tribute to her tattoo.

"Yeah," She nodded "It still feels weird when I look in the mirror and I see it there, but in a good way. It's so beautiful I still can't believe I get to have it there forever" She took her tea bag out and put it in a napkin as well, taking a sip of her tea "Thank you"

"Don't mention it. It is my job, after all" He was glad that she liked it so much, he liked it too.

"No," She shook her head "I meant for today. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up" She looked down at her cup, looking embarrassed.

Without thinking, he reached out and gently placed his fingers under her chin, making her look at him. He was caught up in her emerald eyes, momentarily forgetting what he was going to say.

"I'm pretty sure you would have kicked his ass" He said, trying to lighten the mood. She giggled, and the sound was music to her ears. "I'm serious, you could have done some damage with those heels" He said, pulling his hand away. Her skin was soft and he wanted more.

They lapsed into silence again but he felt like Caroline was more relaxed.

After finishing off their tea, he watched as Caroline washed their mugs and set them to dry.

"Do you want to watch some television?" She asked and he gave her a small nod. Caroline went to turn on her television, grabbing a blanket off one of the armchairs as she walked to the sofa. She sat down and made herself comfortable before looking at him. She pat the spot next to her.

Unpredictable Caroline.

He smirked, making his way over and sitting down next to her, careful to maintain his distance.

Klaus kept his eyes on the television screen but didn't really care what was going on. He wasn't as close to Caroline as he would like, but he could still feel her warmth. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and wrap his arms around her.

"How many tattoos do you have?" He heard her say and he turned to her. She was looking at his arms. He looked down and shrugged- he didn't really know.

"On my arms? Maybe twenty different ones"

"Twenty?" She was coming closer, leaning in to get a better look of his tattoos.

"Yes. Some of them are small, others are larger"

"And that's just on your arms?" He was amused at how slightly bewildered she looked. But he could see she was curious. He eyes trailed over his arms, looking at each one for a couple of minutes, absorbing every detail.

"Yes, those are just my arms" He had his shirt rolled up and she could only see up to his elbows. He had much more tattoos on his upper arms over his back and torso. He would love for her to see them if it meant her looking at him like that.

"Most of these are Rebekah and Kol's doing"

"Kol? Is he your brother?" She asked.

"Yes, one of two. My older brother Elijah doesn't tattoo very often anymore" Elijah was more of a businessman now.

"You all have very interesting names"

"My parents were able to trace back our family's lineage to Vikings. They wanted to give us names that would honor our ancestors" He turned his arm so that she could see the other side of his forearm. She leaned in closer, her breath ran over his arm.

"What do they mean?"

"It's all of our names- this is Mikeal and this is Esther" He pointed at the ones at the top "Then it's Elijah, Niklaus, Rebekah, Kol and Henrik" It was one of the first tattoos he had gotten.

"Your full name is Niklaus?" She asked and he nodded, captivated by the way his name sounded coming from her tongue. "Who's Henrik?" She asked and he was quiet. He should have known she would ask, so there was no point in avoiding it.

"Henrik was the youngest of us all. He passed away a couple of years ago in a car accident" Klaus didn't offer any more information and hoped that she wouldn't pry.

"I'm sorry" She said. A lot of people had said the same thing, but somehow Caroline made it sound like as if she was saying "I know it isn't enough, but it's the best I can do", and he appreciated that.

"Thank you" He said sincerely, giving her a small smile. She seemed to sense his uneasiness and returned the smile, pulling away from him and dropping the topic.

She settled into her spot on the sofa, bringing her legs up under her and pulling the blanket up a bit more. She threw him a small smile before turning her attention to whatever was on the television screen.

He did the same, keeping his eyes on the screen for a couple of minutes before glancing at her.

Caroline had fallen asleep and the blanket had fallen and pooled on her lap. Her head rested on the back of the couch, her pink lips slightly parted.

Klaus took the chance to look at her again.

He knew she was beautiful, but each time he saw her it was like the first time.

The pins in her hair had fallen out completely, leaving her wild and curly hair cascading down her shoulders. He had never seen her hair out because the two times he had seen her she had it up in a bun.

His eyes dropped to her costume- he really did like it. It was original and unique like her and it accentuated all of her best features. She was like a little bird, asleep and exhausted.

He got up and moved the blanket away from her body, slipping his arm under her knees and the other around her back. He picked her up and she turned, resting her head on his shoulder, her hand landing on his chest.

Klaus carried Caroline to her room, gently placing her on her bed and making sure she was comfortable. He adjusted the comforter and tucked her in.

He looked at her one more time, moving aside a stray strand of hair and tucking it behind her ear.

"Good night, Caroline" He said made his way out of her room, closing the curtains behind him.

He wasn't sure whether he should leave or stay, but in the end decided to sleep on her couch. She had technically offered him a place to stay the night, and he wasn't up for finding a way to get home.

He laid down on her sofa and grabbed the blanket she had been using before.

From where he was laying he was looking straight at the curtain which was slightly see through. The light from the street lamps came in through the window in her room, bathing her in light.

He closed his eyes, trying not to think of Caroline sleeping in her bed.

After what felt like a couple of seconds he opened his eyes again.

Everything was the same except there was movement behind the curtain. He squinted his eyes and tried to make out what was happening.

When his eyes adjusted to the lighting in the room, he realized that there was no one in Caroline's bed. The figure in her room slipped something off of their body, stepping out of the garment they had removed and pulled on something over their head.

He quickly realized that it was Caroline removing her costume and changing into something he guessed were her night clothes.

Before he could close his eyes again and moved toward the curtain that was separating them and pulled it aside, and he was met with one of the most mouth watering views he had ever seen.

Caroline's long blonde locks were wild and curly, flowing over her shoulders. His eyes travelled down from her hair to the silky white nightgown that hit her just below the thigh.

He licked his lips unconsciously and watched as she sauntered over to him.

She moved aside the blanket and motioned for him to sit up. He did as she asked.

Caroline placed her hands on his shoulders before throwing her leg over his lap and straddling him. He automatically brought his hands up and rested them on her hips.

Her hands slid up and into Klaus's hair, her fingers lacing into his sandy locks. She gave a small tug on his hair, causing his head to fall back.

She was looking down at him, more specifically at his lips. A few seconds later her plump pink lips descended on his, capturing his lips in a kiss that started off slow and sensual but quickly escalated into a heated battle for dominance.

Her hips rocked slightly against him and he could feel the thin fabric of a lace pair of panties, surely so small and flimsy he could rip them away.

She kept rocking her lips, synchronizing her movements with the rhythm that their lips had set.

He groaned and rolled them over so that she was laying on the couch as he hovered over her.

Klaus pulled away from her lips, opening his eyes.

Caroline's hair fanned out on the cushions around her, the dim lighting in the room casted over her milky white skin to make her look like the most beautiful thing he had ever seen- an angel in the flesh.

He leaned his forehead on hers as they caught their breath. He closed his eyes and concentrated on feeling the angel beneath him.

He opened his eyes again.

But he wasn't looking at Caroline under him, he was looking at the white roof of her living room. Klaus sat up, slightly disoriented.

"Good morning" Caroline's voice came from the direction of her kitchen. Klaus looked over at her.

She was moving around the kitchen, getting some sort of meal in order.

He stood up, sitting down on the stool next to her counter again.

"Good morning, sweetheart" She was making something in a pan on the stove. He looked her over, noticing she had changed out of her costume.

Her hair was damp, so he guessed that she had recently gotten out of the shower. She wore a white tank top, dark blue sweatpants and flip flops.

"I made tea and coffee because I didn't know which one you would prefer" She said as she set a plate of scrambled eggs, sausages and toast in front of him. There was another plate with some strips of bacon and two pots- one with coffee and one with tea.

"Thank you, love. This looks delicious" He smiled at her before reaching for the pot of tea and pouring some into his cup.

"Thanks. Breakfast foods are like my specialty" She laughed before digging into her own pile of food.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay the night" He said between bites.

"It was no problem. It would have been rude of me not to" She said with a smile, reaching for a strip of bacon.

They ate in silence for some time and he was right- everything was delicious.

Once they were done Caroline cleared their plates.

"I should be getting back to the parlor, we open in about an hour"

"Do you need a lift?" She asked.

"Oh no, I my brother can pick me up"

"Don't be ridiculous, I'll take you" She said, going for her keys.

He was somewhat glad that she had offered because that would mean a couple more minutes with Caroline.

Their ride to the parlor was silent. He told her to pull into the parking lot in the back.

"Thank you again" He said.

"Don't worry about it" She smiled. After a couple of seconds she spoke up again "Um, I don't know if this is weird or anything but do you like, want to hang out sometime?" She asked hesitantly. He smirked.

"I would like that" He said and she instantly relaxed. He asked for her phone and programed his number into her phone and getting her number as well.

"I'll see you around" Caroline said with a beautiful smile.

"I'll see you around, love" He said back with a smirk and watched as she drove off.

They would see each other again.

* * *

**There it is!**

**So, thank you to everyone who left comments on Inked, and on here, too! I've been getting a lot of reviews and I really didn't expect these stories to get much praise, so it's a lovely surprise :)**

**Leave me some more comments, and I'll be updating Inked in a couple of days (Spoiler Alert: Things are about to get interesting...)**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**


	3. In My Arms

**You guys are so great and I was so terrible to leave you all hanging with this story for a month. So I spent like all of today typing up Inked and when I finished I was inspired so... this chapter was born!**

**I haven't even looked it over for grammatical errors so sorry if anything is spelled wrong, I'll fix it soon!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Marked

Chapter 3: In My Arms

Klaus pulled on a fresh shirt and a pair of boots before turning off the lights of his flat and bounding down the stairs. He caught himself whistling an unfamiliar tune as he locked his door and walked toward the front of the parlor.

"Someone's in a good mood. Let me guess, Caroline is coming by?" Kol sat behind the front desk, his feet propped up on the table. He had been fiddling with his phone when he heard Klaus coming down the stairs in a rather chipper mood.

"How did you know about Caroline?" Klaus had made sure Kol was never around when Caroline and him met up at the parlor. They had been spending some time together in the past two months, but their relationship had yet to escalate to anything further than friendship.

They went out to watch movies, they had lunch and dinner dates (well, they weren't really dates, apparently). When they would go out to a club or to some sort of event with Bonnie and Rebekah he would always end up in her apartment, spending the night on the couch.

Klaus knew that he wanted something more than friendship with Caroline, and he tried to show her every time they were together. When they walked together, he would sometimes grab her hand. When they would say good bye to each other, he would leave a kiss on her knuckles or on her cheek.

And she wasn't exactly keeping to herself- she too would leave a kiss on his cheek sometimes, or loop her arm around his when they walked. Whenever they watched a movie at her apartment, she would always end up nestled into his chest, her arms wrapped around his torso.

But although they shared touches, neither of them had yet to make a move. He wanted to give her space, to let her decide where she wanted the relationship to go. But every time he so much as got near her lips, her eyes would flash with something he could only label as fear. She wouldn't move, and her body language was practically begging for him to take it further, but her eyes always gave her away.

He knew she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her, but there was something holding her back, and he was afraid that if he pushed her too far, he would lose her for good.

"Earth to Nik!" Kol sang, snapping his fingers in front of Klaus's face.

Klaus looked at his brother, utterly confused as to what was going on. "What?" He said, but then remembered that he had asked his brother a question. "How did you know about Caroline?" He asked again.

Kol chuckled. "Well, if you hadn't been off in your dream land, where I'm guessing the blonde beauty made an appearance, you would have heard my answer." He started, tilting his head in amusement. "Rebekah left early to her class and left me to clean up and lock up. She might have let it slip that you were expecting company."

Klaus cursed under his breath, making a mental note to have a word with Rebekah when he saw her again. He was about to warn his brother to stay out of his way when the front door of the shop opened and Caroline stepped in.

She ran a hand through her hair, shaking out the snowflakes that were trapped in her golden locks.

Klaus looked her over, taking in her appearance; she wore a maroon leather jacket and black jeans with a pair of black leather knee high boots. She stomped her feet on the welcome mat, shaking out the excess snow.

Her whipped over to look at him, a smile spreading across her face as soon as her eyes landed on him. He cheeks were flushed and her nose was red from the cold.

"Hey," she said simply, beginning to walked over to him. After a couple of seconds, her eyes dropped to Kol who now stood up behind the front desk. "Hello," she said to Kol. He saw the confusion flash across her face before it was masked by another smile as she greeted his brother.

"Good evening, love." Kol said, extending his hand over the desk. "I'm Kol. You must be Caroline." Once Kol said his name, Caroline's facial features relaxed a little. Klaus had told her about him, but they had never met.

She slipped her hand into his and gave it a small shake. "Yeah, that's me." Klaus watched the exchange and was grateful that there was a table in between the or else Kol would have surely tried to make a move on her.

"Klaus talks about you like all the time" Kol added smugly.

"Really?" Caroline asked when she pulled her hand back, her eyebrows raised as she looked between Klaus and Kol. Klaus was shooting Kol a murderous look which he clearly wasn't understanding.

"My God, yes! If I have to hear how beautiful you are one more -"

Klaus cut him off before he could continue. "Alright Kol, that's enough." He growled at his brother, stepping away from the desk so as to not wring Kol's neck. He placed his arm on Caroline's lower back and led her toward the door. She was smiling up at him, falling into step with him as they walked away.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Caroline!" Kol called when Klaus opened the front door for her.

"You too, Kol!" She called over her shoulder. When he joined her on the sidewalk, she giggled. "Well that was unexpected."

"I'm sorry for my brother's mouth. We have yet to acquire a muzzle." He said seriously and she threw her head back, her melodies laugh echoing through the chilly air.

When she managed to contain her giggles, she looped her arm around his, looking up at him expectantly. "Where are we going tonight?"

"You can choose this time." Klaus looked down at her as she thought, watching as a snowflake fell on her nose. Unconsciously, he brought his hand up and swiped it off her skin. He eyes settled on his for a second before she looked away quickly.

He fought the urge to just pull her into him and kiss her, just to get it over with. The sexual tension was killing them both.

"I think I know where we can go." She said and pulled him along, taking him to her car.

The drive to wherever Caroline was taking him didn't even last ten minutes. The entire time in the car he watched as she drummed on her steering wheel, humming and singing to whatever song would come on the radio.

She pulled into a parking lot and he joined her on the sidewalk.

He followed along next to her as they walked to their destination. When Klaus looked up and caught sight of the bar Caroline was leading him to, he stopped in his tracks.

"Is something wrong?" Caroline asked. Yes, something was very wrong. This was the bar where he used to go to pick up women. He hadn't been there in a couple of months, first of all because he didn't want to risk bumping into Hayley and also because he just hadn't felt the need to see any other woman besides Caroline.

"I just don't think I've ever seen you walk into a pub on your own free will." He joked, playing off the actual reason why. But it was true, the last time he had seen Caroline in a bar was the day of the Halloween parade. And that had been almost three months ago.

She scoffed. "I go into bars. Just not often." She mumbled the last part and he laughed.

He had offered that they go for drinks a couple of times since he had met her, but she always got out of it. He stopped asking after the third time she refused to step foot in a pub, guessing that she just didn't like pubs. Apparently that wasn't the case.

They walked into the pub and sat at one of the stools at the bar. Caroline slipped her jacket off her shoulders, revealing the blue, spaghetti strap top she had on. She folded her jacket on her lap and placed her elbows on the bar, resting her chin in on her hand. She looked over at him.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering how I'm going to fight off all the possible suitors who will sure be approaching soon." He glanced around the room and sure enough, a couple of men already had their gaze set on her.

She laughed and he smiled. "I don't think many guys will step up to me when they catch a glimpse of you."

"Oh really? And why is that?"

"I don't think anyone will try and mess with a girl who walked in with a guy who had as many tattoos as you."

He thought about that for a second before removing his own jacket and then rolling up the sleeves of his navy blue shirt, exposing all his tattoos. Caroline laughed again at his actions and he smiled, enjoying how carefree she seemed.

"Well, look who's back." Damon's voice came from behind the bar and Klaus looked up at the raven haired man. But Damon wasn't looking at him, he was looking at Caroline.

She turned to look at Damon, who was now smirking at her. "Hey, Damon."

"Barbie," He said and then looked at Klaus. "And New Orleans' best tattoo artist."

"Mate," Klaus nodded at Damon. He and Damon weren't friends, but since he used to frequent this bar, they knew each other and Damon considered him a loyal costumer.

Klaus looked at Caroline, who was looking at Damon in a way he couldn't quite figure out.

"What brings you around?" Damon asked Caroline.

"Aside from the fact that your bar is the only one I know in this town?" Caroline said.

"Fair enough" Damon said and winked at her before turning to Klaus.

"And what about you? I haven't seen you around in a while." Damon exactly what Klaus did whenever he would come to his bar, but tonight was different.

"I'm just out for drinks with Caroline." He looked at her and caught her gaze.

"Drinks it is! What will you be having?" Damon asked and broke away from Caroline's gaze to answer..

"Bourbon, neat"

"Bourbon, neat"

Klaus looked at Caroline, realizing they had placed their order in unison. She smiled slightly and he could have sworn he saw her blush.

"Aw, you guys are so adorable." Damon gushed sarcastically and went to go prepare their drinks. Caroline gave him a small smile before looking away nervously.

There it was again. She was putting up her walls, keeping me at arms length.

"How do you know Damon?" Klaus asked.

She looked at him, her eyes shifting for a fraction of a second before she answered. "He used to live in Mystic Falls. We were...friends." She said the word 'friends' with a certain uncertainty in her voice.

Before Klaus asked anything else, Caroline excused herself and went to go find a bathroom. He watched as she disappeared around the corner.

Damon came up and set the two drinks in front of him. But he didn't leave. Instead, he stayed and looked at Klaus.

"Seriously, Klaus. How did you two meet?"

"I gave her a tattoo."

"Barbie got a tattoo?" Damon said incredulously, looking the direction she had gone. "Hot." He said under his breath but Klaus heard him.

"Watch your tongue, Salvatore." Klaus warned, bringing his glass up to his lips.

Damon held up his hands in an innocent manner. "Just an honest opinion. I gotta say, I'm not that surprised. She was always a little vixen in bed."

Klaus's eyes went wide and he almost choked on his alcohol.

"What!" He roared and Damon only laughed.

"Relax, mate," he tried to imitate his accent. "It was a long time ago and we both ended up deciding we worked better as friends." That didn't ease his thundering thoughts. Damon had slept with Caroline? When? Why?

Damon watched as Klaus thought, shaking his head when he saw the conclusions he was drawing. "Listen, Klaus. Caroline is a great girl, but not my type. And according to her, I'm most definitely not her type." Damon pulled the towel from his shoulder and wiped down the counter. "As to the reason why, that's not my story to tell." He finished ominously before walking away.

Klaus stared at Damon's retreating form.

Not his story to tell? What did that mean?

He sat in his stool, thoughts of Caroline. Thoughts of Caroline with Damon, Thoughts of Caroline with any other man. He had never known if Caroline wasn't a virgin, but his answer was clear now. Not that it bothered him. It didn't bother him that she wasn't a virgin, but he didn't like the idea of her with another man.

He was shocked by how possessive he was getting, but he couldn't help it.

He glanced at her glass of bourbon, the glass sweating with moisture. It had been there for a while, and Caroline had been gone for some time.

Klaus got up quickly and made his way over to where Caroline had disappeared. He rounded the corner and got to the door of the women's bathroom. He was about to knock when he heard the sounds of a struggle emanating from behind the door.

"Caroline?" He called and a muffled scream sounded from inside the bathroom.

He tried the knob, but it was locked. He rammed his shoulder into the door, but to no avail.

"What the hell is going on?" Damon came around to see what was going on.

"Caroline has been in there too long."

"Calm down, Ken. Girls have emergencies you know." Damon said, rolling his eyes.

"Klaus!" Caroline voice came from inside the bathroom.

Klaus stared at Damon with wide eyes and Damon shared his look. He quickly pulled out a ring of keys from his back pocket and handed the right one to Klaus.

Klaus snatched the key from his and hand and unlocked the door, kicking it open and looking around the small space for Caroline.

She was backed up into a corner, tears running down her cheeks as she sobbed, her arms wrapped around herself. There was a man on the floor a few feet away from her. He groaned, rolling over so that he was on his back, holding his nether regions.

Klaus didn't hesitate, striding over to the man and picking him up by the collar, pulling him out of the bathroom. He pushed him against a wall and looked into the eyes of a man who clearly was not drunk. He knew exactly what he was doing.

That flared Klaus's anger even more and he didn't even bother to threaten the man before he punched him square in the jaw. The man stumbled and fell to the ground, the pain of being kneed in the groin and the powerful punch weakening him to the point where he could barely stand up.

Klaus grabbed him by the collar again.

"Klaus, stop the police is on their way." Damon said, but that didn't stop him from punching the man again. He let the man drop to the ground and clenched his fists, ready to pick him up again.

"Klaus, you should go get Caroline," Damon tried again. Klaus immediately stopped and turned to look at Damon before running to the bathroom.

Caroline was exactly where he had left her, but this time her forehead was on her knees and she cried even harder. He made his way over to her and bent down.

"Caroline, sweetheart…" He whispered and she looked up at him. Her once bright eyes were now puffy and red. It broke his heart. "Come on, I'll get you home." He wrapped his arms around her and began to stand up but she wouldn't budge. "Caroline, what's wrong?" He looked her over, but she seemed to be okay.

She sniffled before she tried to talk. "My...shirt" She hiccupped in between her words. He looked down at her shirt. It was ripped down the front, beyond repair. She was holding it to her body in an effort to remain as covered as possible. He saw red again and he wanted nothing more than to go get the man and beat him until she blacked out.

Instead he just stood up and told Caroline to wait for him. He made his way to where they had been sitting before and grabbed their discarded jackets. He ran back to the bathroom and wrapped her jacket around her, zipping up the front before helping her up and leading her toward the front.

The man who had been responsible for the entire fiasco was passed out on the floor when they passed by him.

"Care, the police will be here in a minute. You should stay so that they get your testimony." Damon said as he caught sight of them.

Caroline went rigid in his arms, her eyes wide with fear. She turned even paler than she already was and her lip trembled.

Klaus caught the look- she was terrified.

"I think I'm just going to take her home. She's been through enough." He said in a tone that implied there would be no argument on the matter. Caroline nodded frantically, a fresh set of tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

With that, he pulled her away from Damon and out the bar, to her car. He pulled the keys from her pocket and opened the car, setting her in the passenger side before running around to get into the driver's seat. He turned on the car and peeled out of the parking lot, pulling into the street just as the red and blue lights of the squad cars began to illuminate the streets.

They sped past him as he drove in his lane.

After a couple of seconds her turned left into another street, leaving behind the sirens and lights.

He looked down at Caroline who had put her seat back and had her back to him, her arms wrapped around herself.

Klaus's knuckles went white as his grip tightened on the steering wheel.

He got to her apartment in record time.

When he opened the passenger door, she was passed out.

His heart clenched as he looked at the tears that were still wet on her cheeks.

He swooped down and picked her up, kicking the door closed and heading for her apartment.

He passed by a couple of tenants on his way up, but most had already seen him around with Caroline. They smiled slightly when they saw Caroline in his arms and he returned the smile- they didn't need to know anything was wrong.

He tried his best to get her door open, and after struggling with the lock for a second, he was able to get them inside.

He made his way across her apartment and into her room, laying her down on her bed. He removed her boots and then went back up, pushing the hair away from her face.

"Caroline," He whispered, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. "Caroline, wake up." He said a little louder and her eyes fluttered open. They dropped with sleep for a second before she shot up, looking around the room.

"It's just me, love." He slid onto the mattress next to her and pulled her into his chest. She went willingly, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his shirt.

He stroked her hair and held her closed, waiting for her to pull away. She never did.

"Sweetheart, I think you should go take a shower" He suggested, hoping it would soothe her. She nodded, removing herself from his arms and moving around her her room, grabbing her toiletries. She disappeared around the corner and a few seconds later he heard the shower turn on.

He got up from her bed and went to her kitchen, finding her tea stash and pulling out some chamomile tea. He grabbed her favorite mug and began warming up some water. By the time the shower turned off, he had her tea ready.

A couple of minutes later the bathroom door opened and Caroline stepped out in a satin baby blue nightgown that reached just below her knees. He hair was dripping wet and he could tell that she wasn't wearing a bra. He looked away, knowing that in that moment the last thing she would want was someone looking at her lustfully.

"Here you go, love." He said, handing her her mug of tea. Her hands wrapped around the porcelain gratefully and she sat down at one of her stools.

He cleaned up her kitchen a little bit before taking a seat next to her and watching as she sipped her tea. He wanted to say something, but he knew nothing would be enough.

When she finished her tea she set the mug down on the counter and turned to look at him. He regarded her carefully, not knowing what she was going to do.

Caroline grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her bedroom. He followed behind her and stood next to her bed when she pulled back the covers and got in. She patted the space next to her and he wasted no time kicking off his boots and pulling off his jacket and shirt.

He settled in next to her, pulling the covers up around her when she nestled into his chest, her arm over his abdomen.

He wrapped one arm around her and traced soothing patterns up her arm, waiting for her to fall asleep.

After a few minutes, he felt something wet on his chest. He looked down and saw Caroline had her eyes clenched shut, but hot tears spilled from the edges.

He held onto her tighter, wiping the tears away and kissing her forehead.

"Shh, sweetheart. It's alright. You're okay." He whispered against her skin and held onto her until the tears stopped and the sobs subsided.

He thought that she had fallen asleep when she spoke. "Klaus?" She croaked.

"Yes, Caroline?"

"Stay. Please." She clenched onto him tighter as she whispered her request and he ran his fingers up her arm again, hoping the light touch would relax her.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

And that was the truth. He knew he wouldn't trade anything in the world for having Caroline in his arms.

* * *

**I hope that wasn't too bad!**

**So there- two updates in one day. I, for one, am exhausted.**

**Bye for now!**

**~M**

**P.S.: As you can see, these two are getting a little fluffy. I wonder what will happen in the next chapter of Inked... Since I know you probably can't wait now, I'll give you guys an ultimatum:**

**Get both Inked and Marked to 60 reviews! I'll post as soon as it happens :) Love you all 3**


	4. For A Short While

Marked

Chapter 4: For A Short While

Klaus looked down at Caroline, sound asleep on his chest. He couldn't tell what time it was because the curtains were drawn but he knew that he had spent a very long night, tangled in the arms of the blonde beauty who was now tucked into his side.

He could get used to this.

He had woken up with Caroline on his chest a couple times before, but it had never been preceded by such an eventful night.

He ran his fingers up and down the curve of her spine, enjoying the feel of her soft skin and the little dreamy whimper that escaped her lips as he did so. He grabbed her hand which was lying flat on his chest, and laced his fingers through hers.

After a couple of minutes she began to shift, waking from her slumber. Her thumb rubbed circles on his hand and he felt her eyelashes flutter as she opened her eyes.

Her head lift from his chest and she looked up at him, a lazy smile spreading over her lips.

"Hi," she whispered, seeming unsure of what to say. He knew that there would be some doubt as to what would happen after their night of lovemaking, because it was so sudden and all. Even after their confessions, he knew Caroline would be unsure. He found her shyness endearing, and knew that he would have to make it absolutely clear that the night before wasn't a mistake.

"Hello, love," Klaus said and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. "How did you sleep?"

"Great," she said with a smile before detangling her legs from his and releasing his hand. He was about to protest but she turned on her back and brought her arms over her head, stretching her longs legs like a cat. The sight of her back arching off the mattress made him lick his lips, wanting her to arch her back for a completely different reason.

Caroline sighed and rolled back onto his chest, her legs tangled with his once again and her hand slipped into his. "How about you?" She asked, resting her chin on his chest.

"I didn't get much sleep."

"Oh?"

Klaus nodded. "A little blonde minx had me up for the better part of the night," he smirked down at her.

She giggle at his words. "I'm sorry," she offered, not sounding entirely apologetic. In one swift movement she had her leg thrown over his side, her entire body lay flat over his. "How can I acquit myself?" She said in a low, seductive voice, her index finger tracing the few tattoos that ran along his chest, up to his shoulder.

Her grin dropped as she stopped at his left shoulder, her finger in the motion of tracing another tattoo. Her eyes scanned his skin for what felt like an eternity before she looked up into his eyes.

"What's this?" She whispered, her eyes going back to the tattoo on his shoulder. He looked from her and over to his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the feather that gave way to a flock of birds in flight, remembering the almost identical tattoo on her back.

"I got it a couple of years ago, in honor of my brother," Klaus said, taking in her reaction. She continued to look at it and he unconsciously ran his fingers over her back, where he knew her own tattoo would be.

"Henrik?" She asked and he nodded, not offering any further explanation. She knew that Henrik was a touchy subject for him, and she generally didn't ask many questions about it- something he appreciated. "So we have matching tattoos?" The corners of her lips turned up slightly and her gaze fell on him.

"We do," Klaus said with a nod. Since the moment he had seen her, he felt an automatic connection. And when she had shown him the sketch of the tattoo that she wanted, he knew there was something special about her that he needed in his life. But it wasn't something about her- it was simply her.

"That's kinda cool," she said, almost to herself.

He laughed. "Yes, I suppose it is cool, as you so eloquently put it."

Her small smile turned into a grin and she leaned down to press a kiss on his shoulder blade, moving up his shoulders and the side of his neck until she reached his ear. "It's also turning me on beyond belief," she whispered seductively and her teeth grazed the shell of his ear before she nibble on his earlobe.

He gave out a satisfied grunt; the combination of Caroline's ministrations on his ear and the feel of her nails raking down his chest was enough to have him ready for her. His arms wrapped around her back, one hand pressing into the small of her back while the other continued the pattern up and down her spine.

Caroline left his ear to leave a lazy pattern of kisses down his jaw and all the way to his lips, sealing hers over his for a slow, sensual kiss.

After a minute she pulled away to not only catch her breath, but to also sit up on his lap. He couldn't help but follow her, sitting up so that she could cross her legs around his waist.

Their eyes stayed lock on each other as she slid down onto him, her mouth opening slightly as she took him in inch by inch. Her hands rested on his shoulders and he let her move when she was ready, sliding up and down his shaft. He brought one hand up to caress the side of her neck, his fingers getting lost in her unruly mess of golden curls.

Their lips met again, locked in an innocent kiss so as they could focus on their motions elsewhere. He drank from her lips and enjoyed the heady moans that would escape them every time he would hit her most sensitive spot.

She rotated her hips and he clutched onto her soft skin, holding on for dear life as she tortured him with a pleasure only she could bring.

Their pace was slow, and he enjoyed that he could prolong the experience with her, every single time. He wasn't in a hurry like he had been with every other woman he had slept with- no, he wanted this to last.

Suddenly her lips pulled away from his and she rolled her head back, her hair cascading down her back and grazing his hand which was at her lower back.

"Klaus," she moaned, completely lost in her world of pleasure. He knew she hadn't climaxed yet, but the intense friction caused by their slow motions had a maddening effect.

Without the will to resist, he ran his nose up the column of her neck, taking in her scent. She smelled of flowers and honey, and sweat… and him.

He kissed her neck, feeling the soft vibrations emanating from her throat as she hummed in pleasure. One of her hands snaked up the side of his neck and dug into the curls at the base of his neck, giving a gentle tug to pull his hungry mouth away from her.

He wasn't left unsatisfied though because not a second later, her lips were on his. Caroline began to move faster, began to kiss harder, and Klaus gladly obliged, letting his hands rest on her hips so that he could guide her movements as she kept grinding into him.

She pulled her lips away and rested her forehead on his. He watched as she caught her bottom lip between her teeth, drowning out a scream as he pushed into her deeper and deeper.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, her tight wet walls around him.

"Come with me," he felt Caroline's lips on his as she mumbled her request and he opened his eyes, instantly captivated by her emerald ones. He clenched her hips, pulling her down onto him faster and faster with each passing second. She whimpered, threatening to let out a scream but he muffled her cry with his lips.

He felt her begin to quiver and shudder so he pulled away a fraction of an inch, giving her space to breathe. Her eyes clenched shut and her nails dug into his skin as her orgasm hit her and he let go, his own orgasm spurring into her.

The feeling was one he would never be able to explain, and never be able to feel with anyone besides her. The look of pure ecstasy on Caroline's features kept him at an unsurpassable high for several minutes before they were able to recover.

Caroline rested her head on his shoulder and he rested his temple on her hair. Her petal soft lips kiss his tattoo and he wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her close.

After a few seconds he fell back onto the mattress and flipped them over, hovering over Caroline's body. She laughed and he was mesmerized by the infectious sound.

"That was amazing," she sighed, her eyes on him. Her hands ran up and down his shoulder a couple of times before lacing around his neck.

"I agree," he said gruffly. "It gets better every time we do it." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief and she slowly unwrapped her legs from around his waist, only to rub one of her legs up and down his thigh. He was still buried inside her and the small movement caused a small bit of friction, causing him to go tense.

Her fingers played with his hair and she continued to rub her tantalizing skin against his own.

He watched her dubiously. "I think we should try it out one more time," she said completely serious, but her eyes shined in anticipation. "Just to see if it does get better every time."

He smirked, reaching down to hook his hand under her knee, bringing her leg up to hook it behind his back.

"It would be my pleasure."

* * *

"I should get home at some point," Caroline said as she popped another grape into her mouth.

"Maybe later," Klaus said, sounding like a child who didn't want to give up his new toy.

Caroline sat straddling Klaus's hips, wearing one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers (upon her insistence- he was fine with her wearing nothing at all). They were laying in the middle of his bed, a plate of fruits next to them.

After hours buried in each other, they both decided it would be a good idea to eat and replenish their energy.

"Later as in later today because I need something to wear besides the clothes that are hanging in your shower…" He rubbed circles on her bare thighs as she spoke, effectively distracting her.

"We'll go to your apartment later today- I promise, love." She smiled, seemingly pleased with his answer. She grabbed a strawberry off the plate and sunk her teeth into the succulent fruit.

Klaus watched, entranced as her pink lips wrapped around the red fruit. He sat up as she bit off a piece, chewing slowly. He waited for her to swallow before he touched his lips to her red tainted ones, tasting the sweet fruit on them.

He heard her give out a small sigh and he pulled away.

"Klaus," she started. "We need to talk."

He watched her eyes, seeing how they shifted from side to side. What was she going to say? Had she regretted spending the night with him? No, it had to be something else. And if she did regret it, he would do everything he could to convince her otherwise because he could not let go of her, not now.

"I just…" she started, pausing to gather her thoughts. "I- What's going to happen between us now that...you know." She made a gesture between them and then wrung her fingers together nervously.

"Caroline," Klaus said, bringing his hand up so that he could grab her chin. She looked up at him. "You and I both know that after this, we can't just be friends. I would very much like the chance to be more than that with you." He smiled at her she smiled her breathtaking smile, seeming appeased. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her closer.

"I'd like that, too," she said, leaning in to give him a sweet kiss on the lips.

* * *

Klaus looked at Caroline. Her eyes were wide and her eyebrows shot up to the middle of her forehead.

"You drive this?" She asked, slightly taken aback. She stood at the back exit of the tattoo shop in a pair of his sweat pants and one of his leather jackets which was much too big on her. She clutched her folded clothes to her chest which she had not been able to change into because they were too stiff.

"Yes," he chuckled as she regarded his matte black Harley Night Rod carefully.

"Okay," she nodded and stepped forward. He lifted the seat and she tucked her clothes into the compartment. He closed it and sat down, leaning forward so that she could sit behind him. He felt her body press up against his back and her arms wrap around his waist.

He throttled the engine and it roared to life, causing Caroline to give a little jump. He chuckled.

"It's not funny," she

"No, I know, I know," he pressed his lips together and took the bike off it's kickstand, pushing off and getting it in motion. He couldn't suppress his laugh for much longer and the most he could do to hold back from laughing was letting a huge smile stay plastered on his lips.

"I know you're still smiling," Caroline huffed from behind him and he couldn't help but laugh.

He pulled onto the street and began driving to her apartment. Caroline had left her car at Bonnie's apartment building and was too scared to go back and get it in case Tyler was still lingering around. He told her to leave it there for a few days and then they would figure out a way to get it back.

As he picked up the speed, her arms got tighter around him and her thighs squeezed his legs. He maintained the speed just at regulation and let go of one handle bar to rest his hand on her leg.

"Relax, sweetheart. I promise nothing will happen," he felt her head rest on his shoulder, but it took a couple of minutes for her to relax.

He pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building and before he knew it, Caroline had hopped onto the ground.

"Was I that bad of a driver?" He joked.

"I just saw the motorcycle and I thought you would be peeling down the road at a million miles an hour."

"I would never put you in danger, love." He said seriously, putting the bike on its kickstand and dismounting. He pulled the seat up and took Caroline's clothes from the compartment.

She reached out for them but he kept them tucked under his arm, slipping his hand into hers and pulling her along.

"You didn't think I wouldn't walk you up, did you?" He smiled down at her and she smiled up at him. She giggled when he held the door open for her, even though he had done it hundreds of times before. Her smile got wider when he brought their joined hands up to kiss hers as they waited for the elevator.

Yes, he was pulling out all the stops. He would be nothing short of perfect for her now that she was giving him a real chance. He had been nothing but a gentlemen before, never overstepping the boundaries unless she let him. Now he would woo her, make her forget that terrible Lockwood fellow forever.

They reached her apartment and she opened the door, immediately going for a warm shower. He put down her clothes in her room and then made himself comfortable in her living room, removing his jacket and boots and turning on her television, waiting for her to get out of the shower.

A few minutes later, Caroline stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a towel that hit her above mid thigh. She smiled as she padded across the living room and into her room, drying her hair with another towel as she went.

She rounded the corner to step in front of her closet, out of Klaus's view. When she came back out she wore a very long sweater and black leggings. She bounded over to where Klaus was sitting and nestled herself into his side.

"I like this," she whispered after they had been sitting in silence for a while.

"So do I," he replied, brushing through her damp hair with his fingers, enjoying the fragrance of her locks.

* * *

Klaus finished locking up the shop and then began his clean up routine. Rebekah was typing away on her computer while Kol messed about, trying to get a rise out of Elijah.

Elijah sat on one of the waiting room chairs, impeccably dressed in a gray Armani suit, his face stoic.

"I bet she's good in bed. But I must say you may want to disinfect every surface in your apartment…" Kol paused and leaned in, lowering his voice. "Nik has kind of been using it as his bachelor pad."

"I heard that!" Klaus yelled from his station.

"And that was months ago, who knows what bacteria has cultured since he was last there."

"Kol!" Rebekah scrunched her nose as she turned off her computer and stood up to pack up her things.

"What? If it weren't for Caroline he would still be using it for his escapades."

"Caroline?" Elijah quickly looked up and around at his siblings. Rebekah winced and Klaus, although Elijah couldn't see him, pinched the bridge of his nose. Kol stood there with a slightly guilty look. Slightly. "Who is Caroline?"

Everyone was quiet.

Who was Caroline?

Klaus and she had yet to actually come out and place a label on their relationship, but they were more than friends. And they were definitely not friends with benefits, although those would be some very good benefits.

"She's Klaus's girlfriend," Rebekah said simply.

"Really?" Elijah asked.

"Yes, really," Klaus sighed. He wasn't opposed to the idea of being in a relationship with Caroline, he was actually all for it. And she probably was, too. But he had yet to tell his older brother of the recent development because of the sole fact that he would most likely tell his parents.

"I bet she is a fine young lady,"

"She sure is. Isn't she coming- oh, there she is!" Kol said as Caroline came into view through the shop window. She walked up to the front door and looked in, catching a glimpse of Klaus and throwing him a smile.

If Elijah hadn't been there, he would have been very happy to see her.

Kol walked over and unlocked the door for her, letting the beautiful blonde in.

"Hey, Kol," she smiled at Kol. Since he had started dating Bonnie they had become better friends. She turned to look at Klaus but her gaze shifted to another Mikaelson.

"Hi," she said politely and Klaus watched her confused expression.

"Good evening, Caroline, I presume?" Elijah said as he stood and walked over to her. He extended his hand and she slipped her into his.

"Elijah, I'm guessing," she said carefully as she looked him up and down. Klaus felt slightly less uneasy as he caught the look on her face. He remembered when he had told her about his brother.

"He never leaves his house without a suit on. I swear, Armani is glued to his skin"

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Elijah replied and Caroline's charming smile stayed on her features.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she turned to Klaus. "Ready to go?"

"We can go out the back." He grabbed his jacket from where he had left it on a chair and nodded to Rebekah, Kol and Elijah as he slipped an arm around Caroline's waist and kissed her temple, leading her to the back.

"She makes him happy," Elijah observed as he watched his brother exit the tattoo parlor.

"She does," Rebekah said as she stood behind him, watching her brother go. "It would be a shame for someone to ruin it for him." Elijah looked over at his sister. She had a serious look on her face as she looked at him. She walked passed him and out the front door with Kol behind her. He gave him the same look and walked out.

Elijah looked back at the rear exit, listening as Niklaus's motorcycle roared to life and pulled onto the street.

He wouldn't tell father about this, he would sure ruin it.

* * *

"That feels nice," Caroline hummed, still slightly under the influence of sleep. Klaus continued to leave a trail of kisses down his lover's back, paying extra attention to the ink that ran along her spine.

Light filtered in through the white curtains, giving Caroline's room an air of warmth. Caroline traced little patterns on her pillow, waiting blissfully for Klaus to have his fill of her skin.

"Good morning, love" he said as he kissed her shoulder. She turned and captured his lips, pressing her sated body to his.

"It's a very good morning," she mumbled against his lips happily and he chuckled, pulling away from her and resting his head on her chest. He felt her running her fingers through his hair, and he smirked slightly, remembering how she had been pulling at it only hours before.

"I have work today," he groaned, remembering his pending appointments. He loved his job, he really did, but a certain blonde seemed particularly enticing at that moment.

"I'll see you for lunch?" She asked.

"That would be lovely," he kissed the spot on her chest right above her heart, enjoying how her breath caught slightly. "Do you have work?"

"Yeah, I have some paperwork I have to take care of and I just finished up an event last week so I'll probably be getting a new event and- oh my god I haven't checked my mail!"

"Mail?" He watched as her mouth formed into the shape of an 'O' and her eyes grew wide.

"Yeah, my mailbox. There are probably bills I have to pay. Wow, how could I forget?" She was already rolling off the bed and pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a sweater. He took a moment to appreciate the fact that his sweet Caroline was going commando.

She rushed over and kissed him full on the lips."Hop in the shower, I'll be back." With that he watched as she disappeared around the corner, the sound of her steps getting fainter when she opened the door and made her way to the elevator.

Klaus sat back, resting both hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He had never felt so happy in his life. Being with Caroline, as in just hanging out with her as a friend was completely different than getting to be her...boyfriend.

It had been about a week since their encounter with Elijah and he had yet to ask Caroline what they were- had yet to define the relationship. It didn't mean they weren't already there because they were a couple in every sense of the word.

But for some reason, putting a label on their relationship would make him feel a little more complete, he thought. He already thought of Caroline as his girlfriend, he just needed her to be okay with that.

He wasn't worried though, because if he came to a conclusion based off of her actions and behavior, he was sure she was thinking the same thing and just needed a little push.

He got off the bed, not bothering to cover himself as he walked to the shower, leaving the door slightly open as he began to turn on the water and stepped in.

He looked around, finding it funny that he could tell the difference between his bathroom and Caroline's. There were some of his things in hers and some of her things in his, something he hardly minded.

There was a bottle of his men's shampoo and body was in one corner of her shower, next to Caroline's Vanilla and Strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner with matching body wash.

So domestic.

The shower began to get foggy and he began washing his hair, waiting for the shower curtain to be pulled aside at any moment so that he could be joined with his little vixen once again.

But it never did and she never came in. He finished showering and turned off the water, slightly worried as to why she hadn't joined him.

He grabbed a towel and dried off before wrapping it around his waist, walking out into the living room.

He found Caroline sitting on the couch, a large yellow envelope on the coffee table in front of her. She had a couple of papers around her, a paper in her hand.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and questioning. Wordlessly, she turned the page she was holding to him so that he could see what she was reading.

It was a newspaper article, and one he recognized well;

KLAUS MIKAELSON - CHARGED WITH MURDER?

**Is the suspense killing you? Me, too.**

**Sorry I took 5ever to update but I just wasn't inspired for a bit and then TVD and TO came on and I started watching and seeing my babies Klaus and Caroline apart has just broken my heart a little. But I like both shows, their interesting.**

**ASIDE FROM TYLER COMING BACK AND KAYLEY AND KLAMILLE. It's nbd. Whatevah.**

**And idk if I'm right but I heard on either youtube/tv/instagram/a screenshot of a tumblr post/ twitter/ facebook/ any other social network that JoMo and Daniel will be guest starring on TVD this season and Candice will be going to the Originals as a recurring character. I really don't know because some fangirls are crazy and post things and make them look real and give false hope to other fangirls such as myself. I hope it happens though.**

**Enough about me, what did you guys think of the chapter? I wonder how Caroline got a hold of all this incriminating information... Hmmm... **


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